1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wheelchair shifting aid, particularly to a wheelchair shifting aid for assisting a person who has not the ability to move.
2. Description of Related Art
When nursing a completely disabled or paralyzed person or a person in a vegetative state, for shifting locations for treatment, exercise or washing, a wheelchair needs to be employed, allowing a nurse to move the person.
However, a regular wheelchair mostly has wheels on two sides of a seat, with armrests and a backrest on the seat. The armrests and the backrest are fastened on the seat.
Therefore, the only way to mount and dismount is from above the seat. A slightly disabled person is able to enter or to leave the wheelchair by using her or his own hands supported by the armrests. A patient who is completely disabled or paralyzed, however, needs to be carried for entering or leaving the wheelchair. Since the armrests form a barrier, a nurse has to embrace the patient and place her or him on the front part of the wheelchair before the patient can be seated on the wheelchair. This is very hard work, requiring a physically strong nurse.
Furthermore, there is no bridge between a regular wheelchair and a bed. Thus for shifting the patient between the wheelchair and a bed, the nurse has to move the wheelchair to the bed as close as possible, embrace the patient and carry her or him over. This is not only hard labor, but also risky, since the wheelchair may overturn or the nurse may drop the patient.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a wheelchair shifting aid, helping a nurse to shift a patient and reducing work for the nurse.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a wheelchair shifting aid which eliminates the risk of dropping the patient while shifting the patient.
The present invention can be more fully understood by reference to the following description and accompanying drawings.